Why Bats Don't Repulse Me Anymore
by TEAnCRRRUMPETS
Summary: Draco Malfoy's reflections on bats, his past repulsion for them, and his reason for changing his mind.


Author's Note:

The plot for this fic is taken from jandjsalmon's 20 random facts that you'd never guess about Draco Malfoy, and she has kindly allowed me the usage of it, so thankyou hun! Although I know that Ginny uses the Bat-Bogey Hex in Umbridge's office, but this happens before that in my timeline.

No one really knows that I used to have a fear of bats. Well, not really a fear, but they really repulsed me. Whenever we used them in Potions, I'd crush them into the finest powder possible, and it made me feel good. It sounds wrong, but I almost got a kick out of it. Just thinking that they had probably been flitting around somewhere prior to them being brought to class made me feel ill, but crushing them; it gave me such a buzz. When I saw them around the castle, I'd just imagine the feel of them under my pestle. It was what made me feel less sick seeing them. But at the end of my fifth year, something changed. I didn't have such a hatred for them anymore, and it was all thanks to one red-haired, freckled girl, who was just as scared as I was, but about something totally different.

It was late one night. I was in the library researching something for an essay I had to hand in for Transfiguration. I was the only one left in there, apart from Madame Pince. I could feel my eyelids drooping so I checked out my books and started to make my way to the Slytherin common room. I had to go out to the main stairs, and as I reached the Great Hall, I saw a shadowy figure leaving the castle. I was curious, so I followed it. You'd think, after all the times I'd been in trouble for being out of bed and chasing Potter around, I'd have learned to go against that idea, but I did. Curiosity killed the cat, or so Granger keeps quoting.

I followed the figure out to the lake. If Madame Pince knew my books were being taken out of the castle, she would have gone completely mad. I hid myself behind a tree, and watched as the shadowy figure sat down and leant against the tree only a few metres away from me. I kept as quiet as I could. The figure took down its' hood, and in the moonlight, I saw her as if I was seeing her for the first time in Flourish and Blotts. This time, instead of grimacing, she was crying.

I knew it was crazy, letting down my defences, and going over to her to see if she was all right, but no one else needed to know. I could have performed a Memory Charm on her if I needed to, but in that moment, I was blinded by how I'd felt for years. I know, hypocritical of me really, seeing as I'd made her cry so many times, but I wanted to show her I cared. I made myself known to her, sat down beside her, and told her to tell me everything. She stared at me in complete shock.

"Why the hell would you care, Malfoy?" she spat at me, tears streaming down her face.

"Because I do, Weasley. Don't ask me to explain, just tell me everything." I tried to put my arm around her shoulder.

"So you can use it as ammunition? I don't think so!" She pushed me away from her.

"What is it going to take for you to believe me? I just want to help. I know what it's like to hurt and not have anyone who'll listen."

We sat there in silence for a while, and then I felt her move beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Do you know what it's like to have feelings for someone you can't ever be with?" she whispered, still crying.

"More than you know," I told her truthfully. I wanted to tell her how I felt about her, but I just couldn't.

"What did you do?" she asked, lifting her head and looking at me.

"I've never told her, but regret it everyday."

"Who was it?"

"A beautiful Gryffindor fourth year. Who is it for you?"

"A handsome Slytherin fifth year."

The next thing I knew, she was pressing her lips against mine, hungrily, full of need, and I was kissing her back, my hands playing with her hair, our bodies pressing against each others. Almost as soon as she had kissed me, she stopped, looked into my eyes briefly and then pulled out her wand and whispered something. Suddenly, I was surrounded by bats, and she was gone.

The next day, I got a batwing in the post with a note that said, "She knows, so you don't need to regret it." Now, whenever I see a bat, it makes me smile.


End file.
